The View from Home Plate

The Complete Guide for Successful Umpiring is a blue print for new umpires to teach the basics of calling a game and get past the learning curve in a giddy-up fastball hurry.

After more than a decade of umpiring well over a thousand games, author Ron Hartnett outlines the keys that give a new umpire the skill and confidence to call a game and manage players, fans and coaches.

This information-packed 420 page handbook, is written in an easy-to-understand format and uses both photographs and diagrams to explain the basics as well as the nuances of working the plate.

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Just coming back from umpiring a baseball game–somehow contact was not made to the assigner so there was no ump immediately available and I pitched in–I thought of the firestorm of controversy surrounding Jim Joyce’s blown call the night before.

Boy, just about the perfect time! Last out of a perfect game and he gives the safe sign. What, are you kidding me? How could anyone do that! Are you blind!

But folks, let me tell you, even tonight it is a lot tougher than it looks. While I had no close calls on the bases, I felt like my strike zone was erratic. Sometimes a pitch out of the zone was a strike, sometimes it wasn’t. A little wide starting out, a little narrow finishing up. But, all you can do is your level best. I remember one tourney game a couple years ago, doing the dish, my mind said, “That’s a strike” but my mouth said “ball.” Then, the very next pitch, my mind said “ball” but my mouth said “Strike.” The young batter turned and looked at me. He of course wasn’t sure what to swing at.

Lucky, I pretty much felt like I got back in the groove. But, like Jim Joyce, it is tough to quit thinking about it. Again, umpiring is a lot tougher than it looks.

Across the transcom came the info that the book will be paperback, ready to launch 8/3.

It will be neat to see how it all shakes out, pictures and diagrams throughout.

Then, this past weekend, watching Brendan work, working a couple games myself, it really let me see what it’s like to get back out on the diamond after a year–not too shabby!

And, while I did plate, not feelin’ that comfy, everything worked out ok.

Finally, Bren did the dish for two games on Saturday, did a nice job. Moreover, with the notes I jotted down, will help me look at those things you might forget but can play a big part toward keeping the game moving.

First post of this year looks at another way of watching the great game of baseball: through the mask.

“Are you blind?” or “Bad call ump” or “You missed that one” is something umpires have heard for years.

However, according the OBR (Official Baseball Rules), you’ve got a good leg to stand on if, according to Rule 9, the umpire was in position “to see every play.” While coaches and players might argue the call–and you may have misssed it–they can’t argue that you weren’t in position.

As we move through the months before spring training, we can look at ways the umpire can always be in position. In addition, fans have a good idea where he or she should be on the given play.

Why did I write a How-to umpire book? A post from the local umpire organization instructs regular umpires to bring their rule books “to get training started for new umps.”

Of course this might be a noble effort but it will do little to help new umps make their way through the way through the umpire maize.

In other words, rule discussion saps away precious time. For new umps, the first step should be looking at the mechanics for working the plate and bases.

For e.g., if you look at the last page of website, “Better Umps = Better BB 5,” you’ll see that plate mechanics alone is broken down into six basic drills.” To get comfy with these drills, not only do you have to practice practice, you need to get a couple games under your belt.

Now, when it comes to the field umpire, also on the same page (Better Umpires = Better Baseball 5), there are eight different drills he or she can work on for covering the bases.

A to learn? Well, in a way, it is. However, you find that after you get a few games under your belt, follow the drill card, you’re close to #1 goal of the field umpire: 1 or 2 quick steps to be on top of the play.